Mike Mathers

MSc, MA - Registered Clinical Counsellor

I am a Counsellor with 15 years of experience working in residential and outpatient treatment programs with both individuals and groups. I have a passion for helping individuals and families impacted by substance use disorders as well as for supporting first responders and other public safety personnel dealing with operational stress injuries. I use a blend of approaches including motivational interviewing, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), existential therapy and mindfulness.  I went through a big transition in my personal life a number of years ago and I remember thinking I was “fine” but I can see now that I really wasn’t. I needed to be sad and grieve a loss in order to move through it, as a therapist I knew this to be true, but there was a part of me that wanted to sidestep the grief so I could spare myself the pain.  I value this experience because it taught me how human it is to want to avoid emotional pain and how crucial it is for our healing and growth that we find a safe way to experience those feelings. Most importantly, after allowing myself to grieve and feel what I needed to and then coming out the other side, I trust that emotional pain can be transformed into a sense of purpose or personal meaning. Depression, anxiety, trauma and addiction often involve loss and I believe that people can most effectively recover from these challenges when they have the proper support to help make sense of loss.  I am passionate about living a life of meaning and purpose. Outside of counselling, I enjoy meditation, anything that helps me stay physically active and, most of all, spending time with my three kids.  I received an M.Sc. in the Philosophy of Mental Disorder from Kings College London (UK), and an M.A. in Counselling Psychology from the Adler University (Vancouver).

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